For the benefit of those who may not be aware of it, regular Caturday participants domari and cretinbob run Little Mews Rescue, an all volunteer, non profit, no kill cat shelter in upstate NY. They rely strictly on donations, and often cover needed expenses out of their own pocket. These people have saved countless animals, even going so far as to take cats off of "death row" to save them from being euthanized.

Now you have a chance to help them, and it won't cost you a penny! All we ask you to do is click the link, search for Juno (who lives with Caturday regular predle) and vote for her. If she wins, Little Mews will receive $4,500 to assist them in continuing their good work. You can vote once a day until the contest ends, and don't forget to tell all your animal loving family members, coworkers, and facebook friends to do the same.

The Power of CaturdayTM has been able accomplish some amazing things in the past, and I have no doubt that with everyone's help, we CAN make this happen. Thanks to all in advance, and now, on with the show....

So we have two muted Tortis like mom, one orange, one Tuxedo like her daddy, and one dark Torti. And before anyone brings it up, we already have three officially adopted, one strong possible, and one other family member who might come and get the last one.

John Buck 41:Caturday is quiet today. Lotsa folks having BBQs/opening up camp/mowing lawns-yard work/putting flowers on graves of relatives ad nauseum, I guess.

Not me, I'm enjoying my peace and quiet at home. Cretinbob is working, I'm not going anywhere today. Going to sit here and catch up on some paperwork and laundry, feed and cleanup after the kitties then have a couple Lime-a-Ritas,

Listening to the scanner, people getting DUI's already. Cops have a car full of drunks pulled over now, none of them seem to have a valid license. Looks like someone will be going to jail!! Dumbasses.

Timid Goddess:ferfer72: Kittens are safely ensconced in the guest bathroom. They didn't hiss at me as I put them in the tub, and I put a soft towel and my t-shirt from today in there with them. They are filthy. I think we'll have to take the baby shampoo advice Monday (I have to work 15 hours tomorrow).

I have found that if I douse the cat, then let him or her out of the water while I suds the cat, then get back in the water long enough to rinse, the cat is happier than if I try to keep the cat in the water the whole time. I have also found that the cat is happier if I pour water over rather than plunk the cat in a tub full of water for dousing and rinsing. Not happy, but not as stressed and unhappy as a "normal" bath.

I think the ideas about gardening gloves and clipping claws before hand are appropriate with these mostly wild little ones.

Oh yeah, I never mentioned how I actually give the kittens a bath. I do this in the kitchen sink. I have a towel ready to wrap wet kitty up on the counter to one side. I have shampoo bottle open & ready to squirt. I know kitties don't generally like running water so I will put 3 or 4 inches of warm water in the basin & have a wash cloth in the bottom of the sink so they don't slip around & have something to grab on to. I also use a large plastic glass filled with warm water for the final rinse, and a plastic cup to dip into the water in the basin for the first rinse.

1. Grab kitty by scruff & support bottom with other hand.2. Gently lower into warm water without getting head wet3. Use cup to dip into water & gently pour over kitten.4. Squirt baby shampoo on kitties back & gently massage into back, front, legs & tail5. Rinse with cups of water from basin6. Let water out of basin & then final rinse with warm water in plastic glass7. Wrap wet kitten in dry towel8. Use washcloth from bottom of basin to gently wipe down face & head of kitten wrapped like a burrito.

I don't think you understand the severity of the situation. I had to wear gloves to catch them. They are biters, not lovers. I can't safely handle them without getting hurt.

They are feral, scared of humans.. if you can confine them to a room with a litterbox and a cardboard box with a hole to gain entry (hide place), bring in food, place it near the box, sit down on the other side of the room and talk to them.. you have to gain their trust.. being kittens, it shouldn't take that long for them to get used to you.. older ferals are a different matter.. took 2 years to get a 7 yr old feral to trust me.. now he wants belly rubs when I get home.... the kittens will smell the food and go for it.. sit still at first.. once they will go to the food with you there, try moving around or moving closer to the food bowl.. don't rush it.. once you can pet them while they are eating, you are winning the battle.. it,s a challenge, but well worth it....

They refuse to eat gooshie food while I am in the room. They huddle behind the litter box and refuse to look at me. Once I left, they chowed down. They are also pooping a BUNCH! I am going to get the Humane Society vet to check them out tomorrow.

When I scooped their litters this evening, only one of them hissed at me. I assume that's progress.

Mr. Ferfer has named them Satan, Lucifer, and Beelzebub. He hasn't seen them in person yet. I'm waiting until they tolerate me before introducing him.

yobbery:Juno is still in third??? I thought for sure she would have moved into 2nd by this time.

It appears that Pretzel and Garfield have their own fan base, and are hanging tough. While I fully intend to keep annoying everyone to keep voting over the next four Caturdays coontil the voting closes on June 22) I would also like to request that someone on the Facebook Caturday group do the same (since I don't do FB).

We CAN do this - IF EVERYONE REMEMBERS TO KEEP VOTING EVERY DAY - meanwhile, talk to all your pet loving friends at work tomorrow. Please note that Dragon says blackmail is acceptable. Send out emails. Tweets, if you are into that. Whatever. Unless the contest is fixed, it seems to me that the power of Caturday will outlast any other effort. We will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight.

Welcome, all I did was adjust the brightness/contrast - which led me to search for this pic of the white boy that I played around with a couple of months ago, I thought it came out sorta ... interesting. In a weird sort of way.

Mom Scampi and her brood. Re-examining them, we now think 3 boys and 2 girls, but still kind of hard to tell. The little orangish brown one definitely has a set of lungs on him.Oh boy... MEWBIES!!!! So cute, and a nice variety of colors.The tortie is a girl so look at her bottom and whatever other kittens match, are girls. The orange one is probably a boy. It's easier to tell the boys from the girls at this age.

One of the greys is a boy, the orange is a boy, and we think the dark torti is a boy, but we're unsure on that one.

The tortie is most likely a girl. In all my years of raising cats I have never ever had a male tortie. It's a rarity if it's a boy, around 1 in 1,000 calico/torties are boys.

I've seen only 1 and that was when we were prepping kitten for spay and discovered a surprise (or 2) in the nether regions :)

mousiebelle: Two days ago I went out to water the fuchsia we bought mom for Mother's Day. I had quite the scare when a robin came tearing out of the hanging pot!! Apparently momma robin decided to build her nest in mom's fuchsia! ...Not sure why she decided a hanging flower pot was a good place for her nest...

Years ago, I hung an artificial plant in a hanging flower pot from the top of my balcony - and the same thing happened. About a week later, one of the 3 ropes supporting it broke, and I was worried that it would tip over and spill the eggs out. Let's just say that it must have been hilarious watching me standing on a stool trying to fix the broken rope and not fall off the balcony when the mama bird kept dive bombing my head.

I did get it fixed and all the eggs hatched, which led to my learning just how LOUD hungry baby birdies can be. And they drove Dragon absolutely insane :o)

Lawnmower wouldn't start last weekend. Long story but it was totally operator error. Then we had 7 days of rain. Finally got some sun today and it dried out enough for me to do the deed. Which led to this.

I've been out mowing the backyard. Now that Jack and I have come back in smelling like grass clippings Gremie is going crazy. I'm being head butted and rubbed against so much and poor Jack is having trouble walking without stepping on Gremie while he tries to wind his way around Jack's feet. Gremie always feels left out when we go out and work in the yard. He sits in the window and watches and then greets us at the door when we come in.

Ok, I know it's late in the thread, but I promised to post pics of Cassie's new behind-the-ear fluff. Like I said before, she just grew this extra fur in the past 2 months and it's really fine and kinda gray-ish colored.

Ok, WTF... The pics on my phone are easy to see, but when I uploaded them to flickr they ended up being too dark to see!

This was the best pic (before flicker made it all dark)...

Here's a view from behind. The fur is really long, too! Kinda sticks out like the hair of a crazy scientist :D

And you can see the new furs catching the light in this pic (she wasn't impressed):

Mom Scampi and her brood. Re-examining them, we now think 3 boys and 2 girls, but still kind of hard to tell. The little orangish brown one definitely has a set of lungs on him.Oh boy... MEWBIES!!!! So cute, and a nice variety of colors.The tortie is a girl so look at her bottom and whatever other kittens match, are girls. The orange one is probably a boy. It's easier to tell the boys from the girls at this age.

One of the greys is a boy, the orange is a boy, and we think the dark torti is a boy, but we're unsure on that one.

The tortie is most likely a girl. In all my years of raising cats I have never ever had a male tortie. It's a rarity if it's a boy, around 1 in 1,000 calico/torties are boys.

powerful katrinka:What's going on? The power of Fark should be able to get Juno into first place. I've voted every day and still#3.

I agree! I've voted as well. I wonder if we can keep putting up the link until the end of the contest..maybe even in the MyFark area? dunno..

I'm wasting time on the computer now that I've got my yardwork done..and it's raining! I got all my plants in this morning, and then decided to mow the lawn. I'm glad that Mother Nature decided to help me out by watering my plants. The Coleus will look very nice in the front Rose Garden.

domari, went to Morgan's entry via your linkie. Comment being reviewed, unable to figger out how to vote (don't & won't do FaceBk. Mayhap via Twitter, which I do have?). Nuther gd thing re Cornell U, younger niece & nephew in law are now there tho not owned by cats.Tripped over tale/tail Scottish wildcats may become extinct within 2 yrs on way here. Would sure hate to see that happen.

Scottish wildcat not amused, credit Mock26 in that thread. Voted on way in; Pretzel blind & tripod himself, Garfield is in aid of a blind-cats site They Say.Gotta Edit, local ham rag due into circ by tomorrow. Back when I can; may go try to vote for Morgan's via Twitter.

Since you guys are all all wonderful at voting on contests, can I ask you to help a little girl win a contest she entered?My granddaughter is very much into nature and birds, I've encouraged her to join this Cornell website so she can do her own research on birds and she loves it. She drew a picture for a contest. She was winning but slipped down to 3rd place. This is a one time only vote, just click "like" on her picture.

She's very excited that people like her picture and have commented on it. If you'd like to vote for it and post a supportive message, here's the link...

syzygy whizz:ferfer72: Kittens are safely ensconced in the guest bathroom. They didn't hiss at me as I put them in the tub, and I put a soft towel and my t-shirt from today in there with them. They are filthy. I think we'll have to take the baby shampoo advice Monday (I have to work 15 hours tomorrow).

I THINK (could be wrong, do that frequently) that domari once recommended using diluted Dawn for kittens who have flea and tic issues.

Need advice...poor old Charlie, the group home cat. I've been doing everything I can (including providing incentive for the guys) to keep her box clean so she can use it. She does to pee, but STILL poops on the floor. OK, behavioral issue, but I can NOT figure out what she's upset about!I know she's old- and judging by the way she's walking she probably hurts. She'd benefit by losing a pound or two, but she doesn't like 'healthy' food (she won't touch Raven's kibble OR gushyfud) because she's been eating the cheap shiat stuff for so long.

She's even bitten her favorite human when he's been petting her...and his world-view does not allow him to understand that she still loves him, she just hurts, so stop petting me I SAID STOP IT CHOMP.Now he doesn't want anything to do with her, and it makes me sad to see her sitting looking at his closed bedroom door, then turning to look at me, wanting me to advocate for her.

Guess I'm asking "What can I do to make her feel better so that she'll stop hurting and use her box, and quit biting people? "

Cosequin. An anti-inflammatory. Very good for pain induced nomming. Food suppliment so fairly easy to administer..As for your friend, who is missing out on beddy bye kitteh snggles. Explain that she had a boo boo, and was not feeling very happy. And because she hurt, she bit. But now she is sad, because her best person is mad at her. And she does not now how to say she is sorry.

So this morning before I hauled my butt to work (still there now and will be for a couple of hours), I checked in on the wee angry ones. They had pooped A LOT during the night! I think they had been holding back because they didn't want predators to know where they were. I could be wrong, but I think I read that somewhere.

Anyways...I scooped the litter. No problem. Clump of kittens ignored me. I refilled the water. No problem. Clump of kittens ignored me. I refilled their food, and there was much hissing.

So, in keeping with Memorial day, and remembering those who have gone before..not Military, however they were mighty hunters...

Thomas..black kitteh to young lot. Mighty hunter, lost to pulmonary thrombosis..second instace.

Porky Pig, very big kitteh. Looked like his hind end was jacked up. Also black. He lurved me, and visited me while I was sick at field school. I swear! I felt him curl against my legs. I slept well that night..pnuemonia..

Cinderella, the Grey Lady, lost to oral cancer. She was grey and white. A wonderful lay, who insisted on sleeping with me while healing a broken pelvis.

Jimminy Cricket, who was my bro's cat..vanished..

Maggy, sent to the farm for decorating my house with pee..she vaporized. I hope she found a loving heart.

Aiko, Queen of all she surveyed. Siamese lynx point, before it was accepted.Keeper of my sanity while in school. Alpha tester of the Potato.

Punkin, Tortie tabby in red,cream.black,orange. Long of hair, and patience. So sorry I did not have the right comb to make you happy kitteh, until you were old. Winner in show for age group. And Best In Show. You wrre teh awesome.

OlderGuy:lilyspad: [i.imgur.com image 500x375]I haz a rant.... Went to leave for work this morning....garage door opener won't work. Nuthin'. The remote in my car won't work either. CRAP! Open the door by hand, drive out front...walk back to garage, and pull the door down. Get back home....park out front, walk to the garage...door is OPEN! ???? Walk back out front, drive around to garage, and try to close door. It's latched. Maybe, somehow it has a short or something in it, and opened itself up after I left??? Whatever.....get home, go to put clothes in dryer....dryer doesn't work!!!! WTF?????? Of course, landlord is out of town right now. I seem to be jinxed today. End of rant....need moar beer.

Call an electrician...asap.. either incoming power or in-panel issues.. one side of the power is intermittent.. there are two hot wires coming in, plus a neutral or common wire.. either hot to neutral is 120 volts between the two hots is 240 volts.. the dryer has to have 240 volts to run.. with the garage door not working, that indicates that one of the hot wires is either dead or intermittent.. have you noticed brighter or dimmer lights? appliances can be damaged when this happens....

Also can be a fire hazard.. call an electrician anyway... the landlord would have to.....

Me too, also still at # 3. This does not compute. We got Juno from # 9 to # 3 in just a couple of hours, and we can't get her into the top two after 48 hours? *shakes head* Well then, I guess we all just have to try harder, don't we?

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE CONTEST DOES NOT END UNTILJUNE 22, SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU KEEP VOTING EVERY DAY!!

I sure hope they find their way home too! Maybe they are somewhere close, waiting for the mean cat to go away.

I have been keeping him in the house. I got some of the special food for male cats and a bag of cat nip. I have been putting extra water in his and Maxes gooshy food too. He has been jumpy lately and agitated. He will hiss at Tom because he smells of Oma Cassie. I make it a point to pet her just before I come in from feeding and then I find Li-Ion and pick him up and cuddle him. I hope to get him to not hate her so much. If the others don't make it home I would like to ask her to come in the house. But I have to get him to accept her because I don't want her tormented.

tigerose:maynerdkitty: I had to run out to the garage to get a t-20 bit for my screwdriver and I saw Oma Cassie climbing into the garage with something in her mouth. I am not sure what it is, I think a rat of some kind. It is a big mousie for such a small kitty.[farm8.staticflickr.com image 500x282]

Oma Cassie is a wonderful hunter. Was this critter dead, or was she just playing with it? Almost looks Gerbil-ish..Desert rat? dunno!

I was not dead but it didn't have a lot of fight left in it. She just dropped it on the floor and came over for lots of pets and love. She has been lonely since Forrest and Flower are gone.

I let Tom out to eat breakfast and dinner with her but last night Tom ran off. I was worried sick and did not sleep well at all. I got up several times to call for him but all I got was Oma Cassie. I thought for sure he was gone.

He came in late this morning, walked right past me without stopping to say hi, and went to the food dish. He ate like he had never been fed before then crawled into a box in the sewing room closet and went to sleep. He came out several hours later and I had a talk with him but he still seems out of it. He ate more kibble and now he is hanging out in the bedroom with Max and Li-Ion. Hairy little ingrate.

I have tried not to get too attached to any of them since Mikey but after last night I can tell that plan is not working.

akimbotoo good instructions. I've found that Eli much prefers having a plastic cup full of water than the full immersion method. When I would wash my Mom's cat I'd do it in the stand sink in the basement. Poor Sabrina had a big problem with dandruff. She was a big cat and I don't think she really understood how to bath correctly. So, when I was in town I'd clip claws, bath teh kitteh, comb about a cat and a half of undercoat out of her. And she only bit me once. And that was in 10 yrs of bathing her!

Such nice memories of her. She really liked my son, and when we would take long trips with her, she would climb up into his lap, and cause him to swelter for several hours...

ferfer72:Kittens are safely ensconced in the guest bathroom. They didn't hiss at me as I put them in the tub, and I put a soft towel and my t-shirt from today in there with them. They are filthy. I think we'll have to take the baby shampoo advice Monday (I have to work 15 hours tomorrow).

I have found that if I douse the cat, then let him or her out of the water while I suds the cat, then get back in the water long enough to rinse, the cat is happier than if I try to keep the cat in the water the whole time. I have also found that the cat is happier if I pour water over rather than plunk the cat in a tub full of water for dousing and rinsing. Not happy, but not as stressed and unhappy as a "normal" bath.

I think the ideas about gardening gloves and clipping claws before hand are appropriate with these mostly wild little ones.

ferfer72:Kittens are safely ensconced in the guest bathroom. They didn't hiss at me as I put them in the tub, and I put a soft towel and my t-shirt from today in there with them. They are filthy. I think we'll have to take the baby shampoo advice Monday (I have to work 15 hours tomorrow).

Excellent... they are getting used to you.. didn't think it would take long... animals know when you like them... a few cat toys won't hurt, either....

I'm an occasional lurker here, but I'm actually wondering if there are any of you in, or with contacts in, Northern California looking for a kitty or two. My folks took in a cat the neighbors abandoned and got 4 bonus kitties within the week. There's also an outdoor cat that is a good hunter who likes people but doesn't want to live inside. The local no-kill shelter too the kittens the outdoor cat had, and they took her to spay her, but they can't keep her.

My parents can't handle 6 cats, the indoor babies are about 6 weeks old, and we haven't been able to find anyone else to take them, though several of the outdoor kittens have homes. We live in Redding, but I would be willing to drive down to the I-80 corridor to meet someone. My email is in the description (not email field) in my profile. I have pictures, but no upload space, so I could email them to you.

ferfer72:Kittens are safely ensconced in the guest bathroom. They didn't hiss at me as I put them in the tub, and I put a soft towel and my t-shirt from today in there with them. They are filthy. I think we'll have to take the baby shampoo advice Monday (I have to work 15 hours tomorrow).

***Remember to trim little needle nails first!***

/// I use nail clippers meant for human babies and just take a teeny tiny bit off of the tip.

tigerose:I am hoping that while I weed the gardens, getting them ready for planting I will find Eli's last collar! I should just buy a spare and a tag...he is 11 or so years old..any thoughts on getting an older cat chipped?

Yes, get him chipped. It takes two seconds and lasts forever. Just remember to keep your personal information updated on the company's website. Ask your local animal shelter or pet store about free/low-cost microchip and vaccination clinics.

I work part-time at an animal shelter, and it is very rare that we get in animals with identification. When we do, and the animal gets reclaimed, it is a wonderful thing!

Kittens are safely ensconced in the guest bathroom. They didn't hiss at me as I put them in the tub, and I put a soft towel and my t-shirt from today in there with them. They are filthy. I think we'll have to take the baby shampoo advice Monday (I have to work 15 hours tomorrow).

The cs part is slightly strange.. I was at the computer editing some music and suddenly felt that I should go outside.. at 10:30 pm... ... Trip was a similar situation.. broadcast at me as I drove by the shelter hauling yard waste.. and he was 2 days away from being put down.... we all lucked out......

One of the reasons you are such a great part of Caturday-- you seem to be a cat whisperer, or at least a cat "hearer"! :) I love that you adore your brood so much!

What she said! And you are always ready to help or give useful advice/commentary.

My cat Winslow. He definitely chose me - he spoke to me directly and I was lucky enough to hear and respond (he was an adult cat at an adopt-a-thon near where we live; my beloved Simon had gone to the bridge a little over 5 months before and I was still grieving).

This is Tailer.. at least 6, is a carrier for FelLuke.. not sick.. he is my basement kitty... someone had him neutered, found out about the FL and dropped him off in my neighborhood...

[i.imgur.com image 850x637]

What a handsome boy! and CSB, too!

The cs part is slightly strange.. I was at the computer editing some music and suddenly felt that I should go outside.. at 10:30 pm... went out and there was Tailer sitting across the street.. with a big tomcat from down the street approaching him... went over and picked him up and he nestled in my arm and started purring... had to bring him home.. took him to my vet who called me to say that he was a carrier but not sick... and already neutered... recently... and I know that he didn't come from this neighborhood.. couldn't have him around the other cats, so he became my basement cat... full basement at almost ground level behind the house... has two good sized windows to get sun and a view.. also has a fan club of mockingbirds and bluejays that hover outside the window and holler at him.. he seems to enjoy that.... the folks next door don't.... Trip was a similar situation.. broadcast at me as I drove by the shelter hauling yard waste.. and he was 2 days away from being put down.... we all lucked out......

syzygy whizz:We've got two coffee makers at the group home and they can get pretty grody. I clean them out (reservoir and all) every week with a solution of bleach and water. Let that sit for a bit, rinse out thoroughly, then I run a pot of water through just to make sure there's no 'leftovers'. Did I mention I unplug them while doing this?

Plain old white vinegar will also remove hard water deposits, as well as general grodiness, just rinse well as you mentioned.* wait a second, I'm supposed to unplug it first? *

domari:sherpa18: born_yesterday: "Mr. Fluffy"... The bad news was, he was FIV positive.vudutek: We've have an FIV+ stray we took in almost 7 years ago. Vet suggested to put him down on first visit. Sadly, the vet passed from cancer last year, Boobus is still going strong.

For the life of me, I can not understand this mentality. Most FIV+ cats are carriers, and will never suffer any symptoms. Oreo was also positive, and while my vet did not suggest putting him down, she did caution us about letting him interact with our other 3. They all got along for many years until Oreo passed of old age at 23 - and none of the others were ever affected.

Now, where were we?[i415.photobucket.com image 203x324]

We had a stray cat test positive for Feline Leukemia, Tyson had no symptoms and had someone willing to care for him so we decided not to euthanize him. The woman who was feeding him outside took him in to her apartment, trained him to use a litter pan, also she put a harness on him so she can still take him out on a leash. Tyson was neutered which prevented him from infecting any more females and also calmed down his urge to fight with all the other tom cats in the neighborhood. He's adjusted to living indoors for the most part, still gets antsy when he sees his rival outside and wants to go out and fight with him, but happy inside, snoozing in his sunny window.

Instead of being euthanized, he's living a very spoiled life indoors now with a lot of love and attention. This is what the life of a feline leukemia cat is like.....

This is a very content kitty!![farm9.staticflickr.com image 478x640]

This is Tailer.. at least 6, is a carrier for FelLuke.. not sick.. he is my basement kitty... someone had him neutered, found out about the FL and dropped him off in my neighborhood...

born_yesterday:I realize I'm late to the thread, but one of the kitten cams I watch got me thinking about my last cat, Mr. Fluffy.

I took Mr. Fluffy in off the streets of Baltimore. More accurately, he accepted the terms of the agreement and volunteered. Seriously. He was the biggest stray i had ever seen (20 lbs as it turns out), and would sit on my porch with the others, waiting for noms. But Mr. Fluffy never meowed or begged or stroked my leg; he just looked at me calmly, waiting. One day, when I decided I was willing to devote myself to a cat, I saw him outside, and I said to him, "OK, here's the deal: I'll give you all the food you could want, all the love that you want, and medical attention, but you can't go outside anymore." I opened the apartment door and asked, "So what do you say?". He got up and walked in and followed me into my apartment.

I took him to the vet right away. As it turns out, he was a he (he had been neutered, probably by one of the volunteer cat trappers in Baltimore), but I refused to change his name, hence the awkward moniker "Mr. Fluffy". The bad news was, he was FIV positive. He wasn't expected to last long. But, we made a deal, and I was sticking to it. Throughout his life, I had to deal will numerous traumas. Like the stomatitis. Like having to remove all the teeth behind his canines. And the glaucoma. And, eventually, the ear infection that destroyed his balance. That's when I eventually had to let him go, when I knew life was painful for him. He survived through two cross-country moves, four apartments, and seven years.

I still won't take in another cat. I can't yet, and he passed 5 years ago. He was too much. He had so much personality. I can't take in another cat and compare them to him; it wouldn't be fair. He used to sit at the window, watching his old haunt, and would "murr" and nod hello when I walked in (to get attentions). He would play cat and mouse with me, getting chased and chasing me, until the day I dove ...

If and when you are ready, go to a shelter and visit with the cats.. one will 'find' you.. you can't compare the two.. they all are different.. if you do decide to get another one, enjoy it for who it is... I remember all of those who have crossed the bridge, and miss them greatly.. but they are gone, and there are so many that desperately need a forever home and someone to love them... you will help them as they will help you.....

tigerose:The thing about FeLk positive, is that it simply indicates that anti-bodies have been built in response to exposure. Some cats will never show symptoms and live to a ripe old age. Some however do not, as was the case with my brother's cat. She tested positive, and was gone not long after. He never got over losing her.

Yes, some cats are healthy and can live a long life. Some aren't so lucky. We took in a cat who was FIV+ but he already had symptoms, he was emaciated, drooling bloody mucus, had ulcers in his mouth, wasn't doing well at all. I asked the vet if we could do anything for him, the vet said we could spend thousands of dollars to prolong his death.The cat was suffering, the kindest thing we could do for him was to help him cross over the bridge.

born_yesterday:I realize I'm late to the thread, but one of the kitten cams I watch got me thinking about my last cat, Mr. Fluffy.

I took Mr. Fluffy in off the streets of Baltimore. More accurately, he accepted the terms of the agreement and volunteered. Seriously. He was the biggest stray i had ever seen (20 lbs as it turns out), and would sit on my porch with the others, waiting for noms. But Mr. Fluffy never meowed or begged or stroked my leg; he just looked at me calmly, waiting. One day, when I decided I was willing to devote myself to a cat, I saw him outside, and I said to him, "OK, here's the deal: I'll give you all the food you could want, all the love that you want, and medical attention, but you can't go outside anymore." I opened the apartment door and asked, "So what do you say?". He got up and walked in and followed me into my apartment.

I took him to the vet right away. As it turns out, he was a he (he had been neutered, probably by one of the volunteer cat trappers in Baltimore), but I refused to change his name, hence the awkward moniker "Mr. Fluffy". The bad news was, he was FIV positive. He wasn't expected to last long. But, we made a deal, and I was sticking to it. Throughout his life, I had to deal will numerous traumas. Like the stomatitis. Like having to remove all the teeth behind his canines. And the glaucoma. And, eventually, the ear infection that destroyed his balance. That's when I eventually had to let him go, when I knew life was painful for him. He survived through two cross-country moves, four apartments, and seven years.

I still won't take in another cat. I can't yet, and he passed 5 years ago. He was too much. He had so much personality. I can't take in another cat and compare them to him; it wouldn't be fair. He used to sit at the window, watching his old haunt, and would "murr" and nod hello when I walked in (to get attentions). He would play cat and mouse with me, getting chased and chasing me, until the day I dove ...

Someday, when you're ready, you'll let another one (or more) into your heart. Maybe another FIV or FELV + cat who needs a loving home for the rest of his/her days. Not many people out there willing to take on the challenge like you did. Thank you for giving Mr Fluffy the best he could ever have.

L33t Squirrel Thank you for your service! My father in law was in the Merchant Marines, and then Navy. My Uncle Fred was Navy all da way! They didn't start telling stories until after they started to go to their ship reunions. Then the flood gates opened. That and my son Duncan who is an avid historian started picking their brains. And really, who can resist an 8 yr old's questions?

Little story...when 911 happened, I brought my son home from school, (he had a baad day!)..and we were talking about what had happened. I said, "some planes flew into the towers, and then the towers fell. Alot of people died". He looked at me and said, "Gee Mom, like the Kamikaze planes during WW2?" he was a first grader. Yeah.

Give him a ship/plane/vehicle/gun, and he can tell you what it is, when it was used, and it's "issues". He is teh awesome, because he makes me really think about military history.

domari:akimbotoo: ferfer72: Ok. So if I wear gloves, I can put them in the bath tub in my guest bathroom. I can set them up with a litter box and food in there (It's a big tub). Then what? I'm not quite sure I'm understanding the advice.

Sweetie, they will get out of that bath tub pretty quickly!

We keep feral kittens in huge cages where they have plenty of room for food, water, litter pan and a cat carrier. This way they get used to seeing us all the time, and they can't hide somewhere that we can't find them. We also put a cat carrier in there with the door propped open with a small stick or bungy cord. This way they have someplace to hide when we open the cage door to clean it out. I shut the carrier door with the kittens in it so they can't escape the cage and run away. When it's time to go to the vet it makes it easier to have the carrier in the cage and herd the kittens into it instead of having to grab them one by one.

I forgot to mention that was what I did too! I put the carrier in the bathtub with fluffy towel inside and an other one covering the carrier so it was more like a cave. I also put some kitty toys on the floor for them to play with when I wasn't in there.

Training: Cardigan Welsh Corgi puppies are good listeners and are very attentive, making their training and upbringing easy. They are not difficult to train because of their high intelligence and quick learning ability. They should be socialized early on to avoid confrontation and suspiciousness with friendly animals and humans.Special Needs: Attention, exercise, a job or activity, socialization and training.Learning Rate: Very High. Obedience - High. Problem Solving - High.

born_yesterday:I realize I'm late to the thread, but one of the kitten cams I watch got me thinking about my last cat, Mr. Fluffy.

I took Mr. Fluffy in off the streets of Baltimore. More accurately, he accepted the terms of the agreement and volunteered. Seriously. He was the biggest stray i had ever seen (20 lbs as it turns out), and would sit on my porch with the others, waiting for noms. But Mr. Fluffy never meowed or begged or stroked my leg; he just looked at me calmly, waiting. One day, when I decided I was willing to devote myself to a cat, I saw him outside, and I said to him, "OK, here's the deal: I'll give you all the food you could want, all the love that you want, and medical attention, but you can't go outside anymore." I opened the apartment door and asked, "So what do you say?". He got up and walked in and followed me into my apartment.

I took him to the vet right away. As it turns out, he was a he (he had been neutered, probably by one of the volunteer cat trappers in Baltimore), but I refused to change his name, hence the awkward moniker "Mr. Fluffy". The bad news was, he was FIV positive. He wasn't expected to last long. But, we made a deal, and I was sticking to it. Throughout his life, I had to deal will numerous traumas. Like the stomatitis. Like having to remove all the teeth behind his canines. And the glaucoma. And, eventually, the ear infection that destroyed his balance. That's when I eventually had to let him go, when I knew life was painful for him. He survived through two cross-country moves, four apartments, and seven years.

I still won't take in another cat. I can't yet, and he passed 5 years ago. He was too much. He had so much personality. I can't take in another cat and compare them to him; it wouldn't be fair. He used to sit at the window, watching his old haunt, and would "murr" and nod hello when I walked in (to get attentions). He would play cat and mouse with me, getting chased and chasing me, until the day I dove ...

What a lovely memorial to an amazing cat! I wasn't sure how I would ever fall in love with another cat after my Niki had to be put to sleep because her cancer had spread to her lungs. She was my perfect little kitty. After 1 week I started getting a nagging itch to check out Petfinder.com just to look, you understand? There they were. My darling boys. I love them with all my heart, but in a different way. That is ok though because my heart has plenty of room for all of my kitties, past and present.

akimbotoo:ferfer72: Ok. So if I wear gloves, I can put them in the bath tub in my guest bathroom. I can set them up with a litter box and food in there (It's a big tub). Then what? I'm not quite sure I'm understanding the advice.

Sweetie, they will get out of that bath tub pretty quickly!

We keep feral kittens in huge cages where they have plenty of room for food, water, litter pan and a cat carrier. This way they get used to seeing us all the time, and they can't hide somewhere that we can't find them. We also put a cat carrier in there with the door propped open with a small stick or bungy cord. This way they have someplace to hide when we open the cage door to clean it out. I shut the carrier door with the kittens in it so they can't escape the cage and run away. When it's time to go to the vet it makes it easier to have the carrier in the cage and herd the kittens into it instead of having to grab them one by one.

I don't think you understand the severity of the situation. I had to wear gloves to catch them. They are biters, not lovers. I can't safely handle them without getting hurt.

MostAll of the feral babies I caught at my office over 2 1/2 years were that way. First thing I did was don leather gardening gloves. I wrapped each baby in a hand towel and clipped the little needle sharp nails on all 4 paws. Each baby then received a bath in baby shampoo because they were all stinky from the Yellow Bellied Marmots also under my back deck. While I dried off each one I spent time cuddling and petting and talking softly to them. They need to be handled often and talked to quietly. Slowly each one will calm down and learn to trust. I kept the babies in one of the bathrooms at work and visited and petted them often. Almost all of them stopped being so hissy and bitey pretty quickly. Some took more time. If you can at least get them to this stage they will be adopted much faster and will all make great pets to you or someone else if you can't keep all three. They are adorable!

I am hoping that while I weed the gardens, getting them ready for planting I will find Eli's last collar! I should just buy a spare and a tag...he is 11 or so years old..any thoughts on getting an older cat chipped?

One of the kittens was trapped in my wood shop, and the other two were out in the alley behind. I caught them, but they are WAY feral! What do I do with them now?

Paging Domari! If anyone can give you advice - it'll be Domari :)

Best of luck and thanks for being the kind of person who would try to help these sweet babies!

Oh boy, itty bitty hissy kitties!! They're always fun. As the others said... patience, lots of patience. Bribe them with gooshy food and tasty treats, let them associate you with yummy things and niceness.Pet them while they're eating so they get used to your touch. Let them go to you slowly. It will take a couple weeks to get them tamed. Once they're used to your touch, make sure they're socialized with other people.

born_yesterday thank you for the wonderful story. It is hard when our animals have to leave us. Especially when they have such strong personalities. I think it is delightful that you can still bask in the warmth of your memories of Mr. Fluffy. I suspect that your next kitteh will simply appear on day, on the hood of your car, or on the windowsill. Demand entrance, and take over your life! And never say never, God has a sense of humor...

I realize I'm late to the thread, but one of the kitten cams I watch got me thinking about my last cat, Mr. Fluffy.

I took Mr. Fluffy in off the streets of Baltimore. More accurately, he accepted the terms of the agreement and volunteered. Seriously. He was the biggest stray i had ever seen (20 lbs as it turns out), and would sit on my porch with the others, waiting for noms. But Mr. Fluffy never meowed or begged or stroked my leg; he just looked at me calmly, waiting. One day, when I decided I was willing to devote myself to a cat, I saw him outside, and I said to him, "OK, here's the deal: I'll give you all the food you could want, all the love that you want, and medical attention, but you can't go outside anymore." I opened the apartment door and asked, "So what do you say?". He got up and walked in and followed me into my apartment.

I took him to the vet right away. As it turns out, he was a he (he had been neutered, probably by one of the volunteer cat trappers in Baltimore), but I refused to change his name, hence the awkward moniker "Mr. Fluffy". The bad news was, he was FIV positive. He wasn't expected to last long. But, we made a deal, and I was sticking to it. Throughout his life, I had to deal will numerous traumas. Like the stomatitis. Like having to remove all the teeth behind his canines. And the glaucoma. And, eventually, the ear infection that destroyed his balance. That's when I eventually had to let him go, when I knew life was painful for him. He survived through two cross-country moves, four apartments, and seven years.

I still won't take in another cat. I can't yet, and he passed 5 years ago. He was too much. He had so much personality. I can't take in another cat and compare them to him; it wouldn't be fair. He used to sit at the window, watching his old haunt, and would "murr" and nod hello when I walked in (to get attentions). He would play cat and mouse with me, getting chased and chasing me, until the day I dove to the floor, and he tackled me. He would rest on my chest, with his arms on either side of my neck, and give me chin kisses until he fell asleep. And when he fell asleep, he would roll from my chest to my side, nestled between my torso and arm on his back, paws in the air (best naps ever, for both of us). When the glaucoma eventually blinded him, he would sleep on my bed, and when I got home, he would stay there patiently until I was done with all of my chores. The second I laid on the couch, I would here the "thu-thump" as he climbed out of bed and came to join me. Even when blind, he would only scratch an old pair of loafers I gave up to him, never scratching the walls or the furniture.

ferfer72 by all means wear gloves. Right now they are scared of you, so, when they are in the tub, sit next to it. Have a plate of gooshy food. Let them smell that you have it. Put it down where they can get to it and talk to them, low soothing voice. Maybe put one of your dirty shirts in there for them to lay on...that way they get used to your scent. (In fact when my son was born we brought home a blanket for the cats to smell so they would know that scent. Without the squawking baby!)

Patience. Once they figure out you are the dinner train, things will get easier!

I just went to make coffee and realized how gross my coffee maker is. I need a new one, considering this Black & Decker one is over 5 years old... I'd love to get something that could possibly use the k-cups for some variety, but that I could make my own coffee as well... Not sure if something like that exists?

Yes. Buy a regular Kuerig but instead of pre-filled K-cups you can buy refillable cups and put whatever coffee in them you want.

Excellent, that's exactly what I want. But, urk, they start between $80 and $100?? Ouchies. Guess I'll be cleaning my current coffee maker and waiting it out till I have some income again.

Yeah, they aren't cheap, but Mrs. Buck wanted one for Xmas, so I sprang for it.

I just went to make coffee and realized how gross my coffee maker is. I need a new one, considering this Black & Decker one is over 5 years old... I'd love to get something that could possibly use the k-cups for some variety, but that I could make my own coffee as well... Not sure if something like that exists?

Yes. Buy a regular Kuerig but instead of pre-filled K-cups you can buy refillable cups and put whatever coffee in them you want.

Ditto this. Have the Keurig. We buy the flavored k-cups for mrs. vudutek, and have the refillable filter basket for me to use with the store-bought. Works great.

dopekitty74:OlderGuy: Can you crush the pills and mix it in with his food? The vet can tell you.....I probably could, but i prefer to know for sure the pill has made it down.

I'm gonna stick my 2¢ in here - while I sympathize with wanting to make sure the pill goes down, IMHE, most times it doesn't. I have pilled a lot of cats over the years, and Dragon is the worst - I would be positive that he swallowed it, only to find pills stuck to the walls, his bed, on the floor, etc. an hour later. Most pills (unless they are enteric coated) will dissolve easily in a bit of warm water - add that to the liquid from a can of wet food and let him lick the can clean. If he doesn't finish it, add just a tiny bit of the food. This way, you know for a fact that he got the entire dosage, as opposed to just adding the whole thing to his food (which he may or may not finish).

While YMMV, this method has successfully worked for me (and the white boy) and it a lot less stressful for the both of us. This may be academic as I assume that your cat's meds are a short term solution to his recent health issues, but I highly recommend this method to anyone whose feline requires medication for the rest of their life.

I just went to make coffee and realized how gross my coffee maker is. I need a new one, considering this Black & Decker one is over 5 years old... I'd love to get something that could possibly use the k-cups for some variety, but that I could make my own coffee as well... Not sure if something like that exists?

Yes. Buy a regular Kuerig but instead of pre-filled K-cups you can buy refillable cups and put whatever coffee in them you want.

Just got back from the vet, again, with a new kitten who arrived today.

Little girl named Bibi, around 7 weeks old. Mother cat and kittens dumped on a back road near someone's house. Mother cat took off, left the kitten alone.Obvious eye infection, upper respiratory infection, covered with wicked diarrhea, needed to see the vet ASAP. Nice woman who found her can't keep her and called us for help.Today's vet visit, test for feline leukemia/FIV/heartworm, fecal exam, medication for diarrhea, eye drops, total $116.27That doesn't include the worming medication and oral antibiotics which I already have at home.When she's healthy she'll need her distemper vaccine. It costs us $85 to spay a female kitten.

If she would have been taken to our local shelter she would have been killed quickly, they don't treat sick kittens, they put them to sleep. Her ailments are all common in stray kittens and very treatable. We don't kill kittens just because they're sick like this, we treat them then put them up for adoption.She's a very sweet kitten, non stop purr motor, very adoptable. Adorable calico which get adopted quickly.

For all of you who have donated and those who are considering it, this is one of those "this is where your money goes" photos, meet Bibi...

If Juno wins, imagine how many more kittens like this we could afford to care for.VOTE DAILY FOR JUNO!

Also, let Dragon know that a donation was made in his honor to Little Mews....

Thank you so very much for your generous donation!!!Feels great to know we have your support, as well as the support of everyone here. Keeps me going on the days it gets rough. which is often during kitten season.

Damn these pregnancy hormones - I was tearing up while clicking the donate button.

Slightly off-topic: does anyone have good advice on how to acclimate a spoiled adult cat to newborns? I'm not due until late November, but is there something I can be doing now to smooth the transition from 'one cat 2 hoomins' to '1 cat, 2 hoomins and a smelly and noisy ... thing'? My cat does have claws and I will never declaw him. He is intelligent and mischivious but mostly well-behaved.

After widespread but not total destruction of e-inbox msgs, back. Would so love to vote, but must await end of my 24 hrs. Had trouble votieing 1st time. If I wait for daylight it won't be as bad Sunday or Moanday.Never did e lilyspad direct, still need to. But! Seek successful, so ...

credit predle, 3 days shy of this past Howloween. Find I've at least 4 copies of ... but I eated it.Fressing time comment: when I call for the younger females to come be fed, Cali comes gallooping in from wherever she was. Usually the living room. Rather cute, actually, but she sure makes a lot of footfall noise.Also Eli & the skin issues: a onesie would be highly preferable to a cone of shame. Also far more comfortable. When Cali & her sisters were spayed, that's what they all had.

gremlin1:It's Memorial Day Weekend. So if you're planning a BBQ ... and having a picnic ... spending some time at the local amusement park ... a day at the beach ... remember to spend some time thinking about those who have served their country in times of need

I am very disappointed with the response I had. Maybe it is because I used he non emergency number? Dunno..not happy that after 30 mins. No one ever showed up. I am obnoxious enough thatI called the mayors office and left a message. This just really taints all those first responders who do their jobs, and do them well..like hubby says, something odd is going on at this house.

Really did intend to compliment W A Wayne on Stinky's good looks, even if derpy under the Santa hat. If/as you 2 are fond of each other & he's agreed to let you live with him, who could ask for much more.Pleased/relieved to hear all are safe, well or recovering, as of current reports & retorts.Time for me to pack it in for the eve. Plumbicon took this on his phone (mine doesn't do that or anything but handle phone calls, doesn't even record for me at chorus rehearsals as almost everyone else's does) & finally transferred it, now that everything new must go into 1 folder per drive until the Great Migration happens.

Furry furrthest left & sons Yakko & Wakko awaiting a meal, in formation. Quite likely a lunch. Plumbicon gets credit; he's rarely vertical & rational for their breakfasts. Got Yakko one of those eat-slower bowls with big raised area in center; makes little difference. We still get wet chow-deposits-cum-hairballs as he still manages to gobble.Until the daylit AM, adieu.

yobbery:sherpa18: Correct, This is all me. I think it should be the 1st annual LittleMews Memorial Day Extravaganza.

:o) Don't get me wrong, I was not judging you, and I think the Memorial Day Extravaganza is a great idea!

Meanwhile, I gotta run since the thunderstorms are getting really bad and my lights are starting to flicker....And the white boy has come out from under the couch as he is curious to see what he will be helping himself to (well, I did say he would come out to eat, i never specified it was gonna be HIS dinner)

Mr. Fluffbutt...er, I mean...'Jupiter, lord of all he surveys' is having his locks trimmed on June 4th. He's starting to look like a giant tribble. Biscuit is going to cleaned up as well. If we're lucky we can get them on the same grooming schedule.

yobbery:A+++ Will vote again! Later this evening I'm going to check my Paypal account and send off a little sump'n sump'n for Little Mews. Why don't we all do this this weekend? (even if it's a single dollar...I triple dog dare you!)

While I was trying to make it clear in the headline that we are NOT asking for cash donations (in order to get more people to click on the link and participate) I'm sure that Little Mews would not kick any additional funds outta bed :o) In fact, Dragon (aka the Patron Saint of Couch Change) has accepted your challenge, and says that he will not come back out (except to eat) until he finds at least $3 (what can I say, you triple dog dared him)...

You're welcome - but I want it noted for the record that this thread would not have been possible without the cooperation of a couple of wonderful Fark admins who shall remain nameless. On behalf of all of us here, thanks guise.

/ pauses to prepare shipment of spicy wings (by executive order of the white boy) for Bathia and Unfreakable